ssmtp installation error on upgrade : export: 44: #: bad variable name

(should say "apt reports" instead of "smtp reports" in line #2 of this bug report)

I experience the same problem.

In /var/log/dist-upgrade/main.log, I see:
2007-10-25 22:23:00,564 ERROR got an error from dpkg for pkg: 'ssmtp': 'subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 2
'
2007-10-25 22:23:00,656 ERROR got an error from dpkg for pkg: 'ssmtp': 'subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 2

In /var/log/dist-upgrade/apt.log, I see:
failed in listen(): Invalid argument
failed in listen(): Invalid argument
failed in listen(): Invalid argument
failed in listen(): Invalid argument
failed in listen(): Invalid argument
failed in listen(): Invalid argument
failed in listen(): Invalid argument
failed in listen(): Invalid argument
failed in listen(): Invalid argument
failed in listen(): Invalid argument

In /var/log/dist-upgrade/term.log.gz, I see:
export: 44: #: bad variable name
ssmtp malsukcesis antaŭagordi, kun elira stato 2
...snip...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 ssmtp
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "logging/__init__.py", line 753, in emit
  File "logging/__init__.py", line 731, in flush
IOError: [Errno 9] Bad file descriptor
failed in listen(): Invalid argument
    self.run_crash(f)
  File "/var/lib/python-support/python2.5/apport/ui.py", line 179, in run_crash
    self.collect_info()
  File "/var/lib/python-support/python2.5/apport/ui.py", line 348, in collect_info
    icthread.exc_raise()
  File "/var/lib/python-support/python2.5/apport/REThread.py", line 37, in run
    self._retval = self.__target(*self.__args, **self.__kwargs)
  File "/var/lib/python-support/python2.5/apport/ui.py", line 31, in thread_collect_info
    report.add_gdb_info()
  File "/var/lib/python-support/python2.5/apport/report.py", line 405, in add_gdb_info
    self['CoreDump'].write(open(core, 'w'))
  File "/var/lib/python-support/python2.5/problem_report.py", line 54, in write
    block = gz.read(1048576)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.5/gzip.py", line 227, in read
    self._read(readsize)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.5/gzip.py", line 263, in _read
    self._read_gzip_header()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.5/gzip.py", line 164, in _read_gzip_header
    raise IOError, 'Not a gzipped file'
IOError: Not a gzipped file
gutsy: Fatal IO error 9 (Bad file descriptor) on X server :0.0.
Setting up ssmtp (2.61-12ubuntu1) ...
export: 44: #: bad variable name
dpkg: error processing ssmtp (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 2

I will attach the complete log files from /var/log/dist-upgrade/*

Attached /var/log/dist-upgrade/term.log (gzipped)

attached /var/log/dist-upgrade/apt.log (gzipped)

attached /tmp/bug/main.log.gz

When I said I experienced the same problem, I forgot to mentionned that for me it was when upgrading from Feisty to Gutsy! whereas I see that original bug submitter got the problem when upgrading from Edgy to Feisty.

I've seen a similar problem, but in my case when going from Heron to Ibex:

gwern@craft:19252~>install ssmtp [ 3:33PM]
[sudo] password for gwern:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
ssmtp is already the newest version.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0B of additional disk space will be used.
Setting up ssmtp (2.62-1ubuntu1) ...
export: 41: #: bad variable name
dpkg: error processing ssmtp (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Errors were encountered while processing:
 ssmtp
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

FWIW guys, there's a very easy workaround.

Edit /etc/ssmtp/ssmtp.conf, and where it says 'FromLineOverride=YES # optional', remove the comment. That's it.

It seems the 'config' script greps ssmtp.conf and does some exporting, but the comment breaks the syntax.

The bug is still here in karmic dev (yesterday).

^C
dpkg -P ssmtp

and various apt-get -f install/upgrade was needed. I hope no beginner has this package installed and tries to upgrade.